


Memories Lost in Time (Female Byleth x Edelgard)

by my_yuri_intellectual



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Character, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon LGBTQ Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gay Panic, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Female Character, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Sex, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Romance, Yaoi, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:22:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_yuri_intellectual/pseuds/my_yuri_intellectual
Summary: A new year at the prestigious University of Fodlan begins. Familiar faces are recognized throughout the campus, but for Byleth, there were far too many of them. Centuries had gone by since the war when Fodlan was made as one, and as expected, the Kingdom, Alliance, and Empire had become no more. A new dawn had covered the lands in the goddess's light, and all that was left were the history books and the memories in Byleth's mind. She had been working as a professor for different colleges ever since the death of her dear Edelgard. She missed seeing her smile even to this day, and she had wished that she was no immortal, yet her she was, her entire body stuck in the time when she was 24. As she begins a new gig at the University, familiar people walk past her, not even realizing that she was their past teacher. At first she was able to handle the painfully dull interactions, but her composure breaks as she sees Edelgard in her youthful glory, just a classroom away.
Relationships: Black Eagles Students & My Unit | Byleth, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, Dorothea Arnault & Petra Macneary, Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg & Hubert von Vestra, Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ferdinand von Aegir & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Golden Deer Students & Claude von Riegan, Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Mercedes von Martritz, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Mercedes von Martritz
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	1. Remember What We Had

Byleth's life had gone far from what she had expected. From being a mercenary who traveled the continent of Fodlan with her father, she somehow became a professor at an Officer's Academy with the power of the Goddess. No matter how stoic she may have seemed, this new power was overwhelming. The side effects of her new abilities limited her train of thought, and she felt like fainting at least once a day. It was exhausting, but she wasn't alone during a single part of it. 

She had her students from the Officer's Academy. Even though she was the professor of the Black Eagle house, she spent countless hours with everyone in the monastery.

She missed those days. She missed them so badly. 

* * *

"Edelgard!" Byleth yelled as she watched the emperor fall limp before falling to the bloodied dirt. She quickly ran to her side and held her bruised face in her hands. 

"El... open your eyes, please..." Byleth felt her eyes stinging, and along with the blood, her tears dripped onto Edelgard's cheek. The sounds of battle cries and burning houses made Byleth's ears feel fuzzy. She didn't care about what was going on; all she wanted was to win this war with her lover. 

"B-Byleth... It seems like this is the end, isn't it?" Edelgard coughed as blood ran down her lip. Her half-lidded eyes were full of pain and love, and like Byleth, she focused the last of her energies on her wife. 

"No, El... please, don't leave me..." Byleth felt her heart stop beating, just like it had before she met the emperor. She buried her face into Edelgard's neck, her tears running down her beaten armor. 

"I am f-forever grateful for you, my teacher, my ally, and my... wife..." Her Heroes Relic fell from her hand and dropped to the ground. The sound of the metal clanging felt like a stab in Byleth's heart. 

Her teeth clenched painfully as she screamed in agony, only adding to the ones around her. 

"Finally, that cursed child met the dreadful fate she deserved." The Immaculate One bellowed as she began charging up another orb of dark magic. She was no longer Rhea, which made killing her feel even more satisfying to the mercenary. 

"Damn you... You did this to her, you monster!" Suddenly, a rush of power ran through Byleth's veins as she took the Sword of The Creator in her hand before taking a slash at every bit of the dragon's flesh. She let out a deep cry as green liquid began spewing out of each tear in her skin. 

Byleth couldn't care less that she finally got rid of the monster that had plagued the world for centuries. If she couldn't celebrate the victory with Edelgard, then it meant nothing to her. All these deaths and lives lost... what was it all for?

* * *

_Byleth... Byleth... Byleth..._

"Is that you, El?" Byleth jumped out of bed. She sighed, realizing that it was another nightmare she was having of that cursed day.

Centuries had passed since the war when Fodlan united as one continent. After that day, the Alliance, Kingdom, and Empire disappeared into the history books and museums. All three of the leaders were seen as battle legends, but the King of Faerghus was seen as more of a psychopath than anything... 

Ever since those days began fading away into people's memories, Byleth had begun working as a professor in different universities and colleges. It reminded her of when she used to teach at the monastery, and no matter how painful those memories were to recall, she couldn't find any other profession that suit her. After all, nowadays she couldn't sell fish and weeds to get rich(Three Houses reference).

Today was her first day working at the University of Garreg Mach. Apparently the university is built right on top of where Garreg Mach Monastery used to be, and that instantly caught Byleth's attention. It was quite disrespectful to her how they built a school on top of such a monumental battle ground, but the monastery was in no shape for renovation after the war.

She had been searching for years to find her long lost lover and possibly her precious students, but even after all this time, she hasn't found a single one of them. Despite this, Byleth had never given up for a moment, just like how Edelgard didn't give up when her beloved wife disappeared and went into a slumber for five years. Who knows, perhaps the goddess plans a fate where the two could be together again... 

* * *

Byleth stepped out of her car as she barely managed to keep it intact. Even after all these years, she never really accumulated to such vehicles. Then, she looked up. The exact same mountain side, the exact same angle at which the university was located, and the exact same sky that had looked down upon the land. It looked almost identical to Garreg Mach Monastery, and at this point, Byleth must’ve looked as if she was seeing a ghost.

She hesitated to go inside. What if she lost control from these overwhelming emotions? What if none of her past-life students are here?

She took a deep breath before taking another glance at the Sword of The Creator that she kept in the backseat of her car. She needed to be prepared in case a threat like the Immaculate One were to return.

 _Let’s see… where’s the conference room?_ Her eyes ran up and down the map she was given of the university. It was even structured like the monastery.

She kept her eyes on her map as she entered the building. There were extravagant lights hanging off the ceiling, but Byleth seemed more than a bit busy with navigating her way around. After all, it had been countless centuries since she was last here.

_I wonder if the Black Eagle room is still here-_

“Hey, watch it you-“ Byleth stumbled back as she apparently walked into someone. Her map fell from her hands and landed on the person’s high heels.

“Oh, please, accept my apologies.” Byleth bowed her head down as the woman grabbed the map off the ground.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Say, are you the new professor?” The woman asked in that all too familiar seductive tone of voice.

Byleth froze in place, and she quickly stood up as she stared deep into the woman’s eyes. Her short-bobbed hair was slicked back, and her eyes were full of its usual enticing flare.

_Could that be…?_

“What, do my stunning looks shock you? I must say, you’re quite attractive yourself.” The woman gave her a wink as she extended her hand.

“Here’s your map, and if you’re lost on your way around,” she stepped closer and gripped onto Byleth’s tie.

“Just give me a call. Oh, and I should mention, the name is Manuela.” She gave her a smile before walking through a corridor full of students.

Byleth just stood there, her entire brain going haywire from everything she had to process. Once again, the map fell from her hands as she fixed her now wrinkled tie.

_That was… Professor Manuela…!_

* * *

Byleth finally found her way to the conference room after half an hour of asking students and janitors where it was. She was also still completely dumbfounded from the interaction she just had with Manuela. The real Professor Manuela!

“Sorry I am late.” Byleth entered the room. It was full of adults wearing professional attire as they all watched her silently take a seat. She suddenly felt a nudge against her arm, and she looked to her left, her mouth instantly hanging open from surprise.

“Hey, newbie.” Manuela winked again, her lips curling into a smirk. Even though Byleth never saw Manuela in that sort of way, even she was beginning to blush.

“You two, I would appreciate if you paid attention.” A green-haired man said in a yell as he glared down at us. His voice sounded oddly familiar…

“Even though today is not the first day here for most of you, we still need to go over basic protocol here at the University of Garreg Mach.” He pointed to the board as a slideshow was presented.

A brilliant green shade to his hair, a certain sternness to his voice, and a father-like glare…

“Again, no alcoholic drinks are allowed on campus-“

“Seteth?” Byleth stood from her chair. She didn’t even realize what she had done, and she earned the eyes of everyone in the room.

“Hm? Is there something you wanted to say, Miss…” He looked down at her name tag on the desk, and his eyes widened in horror.

“E-Eisner?” Seteth lost his balance as his back slammed against the whiteboard. He just stared at her, his professionalism thinning into the air. He looked as if he was about to vomit.

“President? Are you alright?” The other staff members rushed to his side, and many of them shot Byleth a dirty look. If only she could explain herself, but even if she tried, there’s no way anyone would believe her.

_Seems like he still remembers me. After all, how could he not? He is immortal…_

“Newbie? What, is your gaze stronger than mine?” Manuela took Byleth’s arm and pulled her back down into her chair.

Two people now? Although she shouldn’t be getting ahead of herself, Byleth couldn’t help but think of the possibility of seeing her late wife again. The chances were so low, and yet she already met two people from her monastery days again. Just what in goddess’s name is going on?

* * *

“Have you chosen what class you’ll be teaching, _professor?_ ” Manuela asked as the two left the conference meeting. It was cut short by the President’s command, which made sense.

“I have actually. I’m hoping to take over for the Black Eagles.”

Byleth’s decision seemed to be humorous as it earned a chuckled from the other woman.

“Oh, really? I must say, they are definitely the hardest kids to work with.”

 _The sure are._ Byleth laughed to herself as she reminisced in the old days.

“Well, if you need directions towards the Black Eagle class, it’s right down that hallway. Last room on the right.” Manuela waved goodbye as she disappeared in the crowds of students.

The university was just as lively as the monastery was. Crowds of students were seated at tables as they chatted before their next class. It was overwhelming how similar the two were.

“Hm… last room on the right…” She turned to the right before instantly bumping into someone.

“Watch it!” They grumbled as they picked their book from the ground. Byleth had to admit, she sure was a mess today.

“I apologize-“

“Hey, don’t worry about it! Felix, that’s no way to speak to a woman.”

Byleth’s eyes widened as she saw his bright red hair, followed by a charming smile.

“You’re the new professor, right? The name’s Sylvain, and this is Felix.” He smiled before giving Byleth a wink.

“Whatever, let’s go before I leave to the field again.” Felix sighed as he and Sylvain walked past her. Byleth just stood there in shock. What was with her luck today? Are all of the Officer Academy students enrolled here?

She took a peek into the classroom before realizing that it was the Blue Lions class. Then, her heart fell into her stomach as she took one step inside.

Byleth saw Annette and Mercedes sitting beside each other as they shared a tray of baked sweets together. She noticed Ingrid sitting studiously with Ashe right beside her, their eyes focused completely on the ancient tactics book in front of them.

And to the front of the room, was Dimitri. He was surrounded by a group of people, and right beside him was Dedue.

Byleth felt this warm feeling spread through her chest. She felt like breaking down and crying just from seeing everyone’s precious faces again, but she didn’t allow herself to. It made her so happy to see that bright smile on Dimitri’s face again instead of that dark, devilish grin.

Byleth made her way through the hall before taking a peek into the Golden Deer classroom. She felt her heart fill to the brim from happiness. There stood Ignatz and Raphael as the two read through books and ate their lunch together early. Beside them was Leonie who sat like a lone wolf as she played with the pencil in her hand before shooting it to the wall. Typical Leonie.

And in the surprisingly isolated corner of the room, stood Claude as he must’ve been telling an amusing story. Hilda was right beside him as she laughed at his jokes and schemes, her hand wrapped around Marianne’s arm as she tried to escape. And of course, Lorenz was there as he interrupted Claude endlessly.

So many familiar faces… she was overwhelmingly afraid, but also relieved to see them all again.

She felt a rush of adrenaline pump through her immaculate blood. Byleth gently pushed through the crowds of people as she finally made her way to the legitimate Black Eagle classroom.

As she did so, her eyes scanned the room restlessly. She wanted to see them: Dorothea, Petra, Caspar, Hubert, Linhardt, Ferdinand, Bernadetta, and of course…

Her beloved Edelgard.

There didn’t seem to be any other professors in the classroom, which meant that Byleth was the first and only one to choose the Black Eagle class. She was happy from that, but all she cared about was seeing her precious students.

_Where were they-_

“Excuse you, ma’am. The student council president is walking through.” His dark voice bellowed from behind Byleth.

_Hubert._

Byleth practically jumped to the side as she watched the Black Eagles walk in one at a time.

“My my, look at our new professor! She’s quite charming, isn’t she?” Dorothea whispered a bit too loud to the confused Petra beside her.

“Hm? Oh, yes, very.” The two smiled at Byleth before taking a seat.

“The new professor? Aw man, I can’t wait to see if she can beat me in an arm wrestle!” Caspar chuckled before Linhardt placed his hand on his shoulder, apparent disapproval on his face.

“Really, Caspar? Why do you always resort to violence…” He sighed as Caspar continued to gush over how fun arm wrestles were.

Byleth couldn’t take her eyes off of them all. She must’ve looked insane, but how could she not stare? They were all filing in; one at a time.

“What are you saying, Hubert? I am obviously far more superior!” Ferdinand argued as he flipped his hair back.

“Can’t you just _shut up?_ The professor is already here.” The two of them bowed slightly to Byleth before returning to their one-sided argument.

Almost all of the Black Eagles were in here. Just how blessed could this fate be?

“A-Are you sure? Whatever you say…” Bernadetta slowly stepped inside, but she stopped in her tracks as she saw Byleth.

“Oh no! A scary person!” She cried before running to her seat in the corner. Byleth watched as Dorothea dragged Petra with her before gently calming the young girl down.

“She’s never been good in situations like this…”

Byleth stopped everything she was doing. She stopped breathing, she stopped thinking, she stopped functioning in general.

That soft yet stern voice that constantly reminded Byleth of that fateful day…

A streak of platinum blonde hair flowed from the corner of Byleth’s eye. She turned to the young girl in an instant, her whole face turning paler and paler by the second.

“If I’m not mistaken, you’re our new professor correct?”

It seemed like a moment stuck in time from the Officer’s Academy days. She was the same height compared to Byleth, her hair was done the same, and she still had that stunning look in her lavender irises.

All she could do was nod as Edelgard looked purposefully into her eyes.

“Then I and the rest of the Black Eagles look forward to learning from you.” Edelgard gave her a small smile, followed by a bow, before closing the door behind her and sitting in the front row.

The Goddess seemed quite generous with their fate, but how long will that generosity last?


	2. Starting Out As Strangers

As the painfully slow minutes went by, the idle chatter in the halls died down, and all 8 of the Black Eagle students were seated at their desks. There were obvious social groups that had broken the classroom apart, but Byleth could still see how close their bonds were to each other. 

"Silence, everyone. It's rude to interrupt the professor." Edelgard yelled without flinching her gaze on the immortal. Byleth froze in place as everyone's eyes landed on hers. 

"Th-Thank you, Miss Hresvelg." It felt unnatural to her to call her late wife by her last name in such a proper manner, but then again, Byleth is the only one who remembers everything that they had. Edelgard seemed pleased with herself, but she kept up her strong composure. 

"So, as you can see, I will be your teacher for this year, and perhaps the next. You can call me Professor Eisner." Byleth smiled softly as she glanced at everyone, but she kept her eyes on Edelgard for a significantly longer amount of time. The blonde seemed to notice this odd attention before turning her eyes to the whiteboard behind her professor. Just that small interaction felt like a punch in the gut for the mercenary. 

"Tell me, Professor Eisner," Ferdinand suddenly stood up with a loud wham as his hands slammed against the table. It definitely hurt alright, but he refused to show weakness. Typical Ferdinand. 

"Who is more superior, me, Ferdinand Von Aegir, or _Edelgard._ " He said her name in competitive disgust. Hubert stood from his seat beside Edelgard as he turned around to look Ferdinand in the eye. 

"Who do you think you are-" 

"It's alright, Hubert. He's winning a one-sided competition." Edelgard smiled to herself without even having to turn around. 

Byleth's heart was racing and she hadn't even realized it yet. They were acting just like their old selves. She was afraid that this was all a tempting dream, and all she wanted was for her dear El to wake her up. 

And there she was again, staring at Edelgard as if she was ghost. 

The young student noticed her teacher's eyes on hers again, but this time Byleth quickly turned away and began walking towards the bickering students for a distraction. 

"You two, settle down. This is no way to behave in class." Byleth ordered as she her intimidating hands on their shoulders instantly made them find their place in their seats. 

"Ooh, the professor is quite stern! She's sort of like Edie in that way." Dorothea giggled behind her hand. 

"Dorothea, please, stop with the embarrassing comments." Edelgard turned her chair around, her pale cheeks turning a bright pink. That in itself reminded Byleth of so many moments they shared together. How she wished that she could get a reaction like that out of her again... 

"Dorothea is right. The professor seems scary..." Bernadetta muttered as she clung onto Petra. She seemed confused by the sudden affection, but held the fearful girl anyway. 

"Alright, that's enough. Something about this professor seems interesting. Can we just start the lesson already?" Linhardt yawned from the back of the room, his head barely managing to stay up. 

"Oh, come one, Linhardt. Even you can admit that this is fun to watch!" Caspar chuckled as he put his feet on the desk. 

These really were Byleth's precious Black Eagles. She wanted to be mad at their behavior, but how could she? She couldn't care less about that right now. 

"Linhardt is right. Everyone, focus. We want to give a good first impression for our new professor." Edelgard said, and everyone soon settled down and the first lesson finally begun.

* * *

The bell rang, and the students began to pack their bags and exit the room. Of course, each of them gave Byleth a goodbye, which made her heart feel warm. She watched them all leave, but when she saw Edelgard begin walking out, her instincts told her to call out to her. 

"Edelgard!" Byleth's hand reached out to her as she called her name. The student stopped in her tracks before peeking her head back into the classroom. She told Hubert to go ahead without her before closing the classroom door and stepping towards her teacher.

"Professor? Is something the matter?" Edelgard asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and innocence. The last time Byleth had see those eyes was before the war. Before everything went to hell. 

"Oh, um..." Byleth didn't quite know what to say. She had so much on her mind, but she knew that if a word slipped past her lips, she would completely ruin their relationship. 

"Good work today." She quickly said before forcing a smile. It was a sad smile. 

"Oh, I appreciate it. We usually aren't this... rowdy." She scoffed at the end. Edelgard had said those same words during their Officer's Academy days. 

"Also, the lesson today was quite intriguing. I've always been interested in the time period of the Alliance, Kingdom, and Empire, so it was nice to know that you had the same interest as well." 

Byleth lost her breath for a moment before stumbling back a few steps. Edelgard dropped her bag before running to her teacher's aid. 

"Professor! Are you feeling alright? Was it something I said?" Edelgard's hands were on Byleth's sides as she did her best to keep her on her feet. The small distance between the two slightly frightened the teacher as her cheeks flushed red. 

"I-I apologize you had to see me like that. I'm alright." She breathed heavily before picking up her bag and returning it to the blonde. 

"You should get going. I wouldn't want to hold you up." Byleth's eyes couldn't stay on Edelgard for longer than a second. The more she knew about the new her, the more it hurt. She had connections with almost everything and everyone from before, except for Byleth. It hurt so much, and she felt as if she was going to break down any moment now. 

"If you say so. Please, get better soon, my teacher." Edelgard took one final glimpse at her before leaving the classroom. 

_"My teacher."_ Those words held so much meaning to Byleth from the past. Edelgard called her by that especially when Byleth chose her over the Church during the war. Those words mended her heart; little by little. 

As Byleth's mind was preoccupied by her thoughts, she heard a heavy knock on the door. She looked up, and there stood another staff member of the university. And they didn't look very pleased with her.

"The President wants to see you, Miss Eisner." 

Byleth then realized what that had to mean. She clenched her fist before following the woman to the President's office. 

* * *

She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the door. Her heart was racing, after all, she wouldn't be surprised if a lance was to be thrown at her head the moment she stepped in. Byleth slowly opened the door, the creaking adding to the anticipation. 

"Come in." 

Her eyes met his, and surprisingly, there were no traps that she could sense so far. 

"Professor Byleth!" A bright young voice squeaked from behind Seteth. 

"Flayn?" Byleth's eyes widened as she saw the young woman once again. Since she was also immortal, she looked the exact same as before. Along with Seteth. 

There was no way the two could be happy with her though... 

"You're lucky. We wouldn't want to start another war, so we've decided to not get rid of you... for now." Seteth sighed as he stared outside the window. Flayn couldn't keep her eyes off Byleth, and it was hard to tell if she was happy or not to see her again. 

"Don't get ahead of yourselves. If you dare try to brainwash the people of Fodlan again with your false devotion-" 

"Silence! You and that wicked girl slayed the Immaculate One... you killed Rhea." 

Byleth felt those words, and she let them hurt her. She knew that she killed Rhea for the sake of Fodlan; for Edelgard. 

"That may be true, but I've never regretted it. And I never will!" Byleth slammed her hands against the desk, the coffee mug falling to the ground with a crash. 

The door swung open, followed by a frantic voice.

"President Seteth? What was that-" 

"Leave!" 

Then, the door quickly clicked shut. 

"You... when will you ever have enough. Why won't you just disappear from the face of this Earth-"

"Father!" 

The room fell silent. Flayn grabbed his sleeve as he head hung down, tears falling from her eyes and landing on the desk. 

"Both of you... just, stop."

Seteth kneeled down and tried to calm her down. Byleth's blood was pounding through her body. She wasn't sure what to do. Maybe it was a good idea for her to just leave, but there's no way she could do that now. Not after she found her soulmate once again. 

Byleth snarled to herself, and as she was about to go for the door, his voice called out to her. 

"Byleth... I've decided to not ban you from this school. I've realized why you're still here. It's because of that Edelgard, isn't it?"

Byleth quickly turned back around, her head shaking up and down desperately. He sighed before turning back to the window. 

"Perhaps her path in this lifetime will be less... destructive. Please, lead her well." Seteth said in a small voice, but he still meant every word he said. Byeth could still feel that his hatred towards her was near impossible to contain, but she was grateful all the same. 

"Thank you, Seteth and Flayn." Byleth muttered before leaving the room, the woman by the door just glaring at the immortal as she left.

* * *

"What, have you been living under a rock?" Manuela exclaimed as the two ate their lunch together. Byleth was still surprised by how much she didn't change, but she was relieved. 

"Anyway, let me explain. There's going to be an election for the next student council president soon. Edelgard is currently the president, but there are plenty of people challenging her for the spot this year." 

_Right. Hubert mentioned that earlier._ Byleth thought to herself. Edelgard is just as studious in this lifetime as the last. 

"I heard she's running for president again this year. That young girl has a lot of potential." Manuela said before dropping her sandwich on the ground on accident. A subtle "whoops" left her lips as she picked it up before eating it again(Three Houses reference). 

"I agree. I look forward to learning more about my students-" 

Byleth nearly choked on her food as she watched Edelgard enter the teacher's lounge. She was the student council president after all, but Byleth definitely did not think this far ahead. In just mere seconds her heart was already pounding again. 

"Oh, my teacher! Are you feeling better now?" Edelgard put the stack of paper in her arms down before walking towards her professor. Byleth needed to keep herself under control, especially with Manuela right beside her. 

"E-Edelgard, I'm fine, thank you." Her cheeks flushed a rose color as she noticed the young woman analyzing her expression. 

"Um, would you like some help carrying those papers?" Byleth was in a troublesome position, and she needed a way out of it. 

"I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, professor." Edelgard handed her half of the stack before the two made their way out into the halls. Byleth didn't even think to excuse herself from Manuela. 

She felt as if she was having her first crush. Such childish feelings, and yet no matter how mature Byleth may be, she's always seemed like a young child in love when she was with Edelgard. 

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you during your free period. I just wanted to drop in and check on you, my teacher." Edelgard's eyes were focused in front of her. Her gaze never seemed to flinch, but that strong stare of hers always fascinated Byleth.

"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't want to carry these all by myself either." Edelgard laughed softly from her remark, and Byleth nearly dropped the papers from the sound of it. 

"This may seem... unreasonable, but there is something different about you, Professor Byleth." The blonde's eyebrows furrowed as if she was deep in thought. It seemed like there was something on the tip of her tongue that she wanted to say, but she didn't know what it was herself. 

"Hm? How so?" Byleth prayed that some sort of memory awoke in the student, but to no prevail. 

"I'm not quite sure myself, but I want to thank you... for something I'm not sure of either..." Edelgard seemed frustrated with these sudden thoughts. Byleth kept her eyes on the young woman as she noticed her try to find the right words, but nothing came out. 

"I apologize, my teacher. Perhaps I am not feeling so well myself." The blonde sighed as the two finally dropped the papers off. 

Byleth knew there was no way she could get another chance like this. That had to mean that Edelgard got some sort of flashback or familiarity from Byleth. She couldn't let that pass so easily. 

"Thank you, professor. I wouldn't want to stall for the rest of your free time-" 

"El!" 

The two just stood in front of each other, the shocked expressions on both of their faces clearly evident. 

"W-What did you just call me?" Edelgard's eyes were fixed on Byleth's. Her pupils wavered as she heard that familiar nickname. 

"Miss Hresvelg... please, forgive me-" 

Edelgard stumbled towards her as she took her professor's wrist in her hand before she could run away. Byleth's head was feeling heavy, and she felt sick from what was going on. 

"Professor, say that again." 

Byleth couldn't look her in the eye for a moment longer. She kept her gaze on the ground as she shakily mumbled her nickname once again. 

"E-El." 

Edelgard swiftly spun her teacher around and stared deep into her navy blue irises. Her hands were shaking as she put them on her teacher's shoulders. 

Suddenly, tears began dripping down her cheeks, but her expression stayed as shocked and emotionless as before. There was no anger, or hatred, or disgust in her eyes, there was just that familiar glint of longing in them. Byleth's eyes began tearing up as well as she gazed into the young woman's eyes. 

"Wh-Who exactly are you, my teacher?" 

"Edelgard? What in the world is going on here?" 

The two women quickly turned around. They watched as Hubert stepped towards them, his eyes full of disapproval and anger. His expression only darkened as he saw the tears falling from the blonde's eyes. 

"H-Hubert! It is nothing..." Edelgard took one long, final look at her teacher before tearing her eyes off of hers. 

"Please... excuse me, professor." Hubert escorted Edelgard out, but not without giving Byleth a sharp, sulky glare. It was like the one he gave her when Byleth first started teaching the Black Eagles centuries ago. 

Byleth's hand landed on her forehead, her skin heating up from the interaction with the student. How much more will she be able to handle?

* * *

"Today was such a long day! Say, we deserve a drink, don't we?" Manuela nudged Byleth's arm as the two professors made their way towards their private rooms in the campus. It was just like the Officer's Academy in that sense as well.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling it today." Byleth sighed as they reached their rooms. The two had their rooms right next to each other, and although Byleth was quite happy about it, she also didn't want to hear a drunk Manuela next door. 

"Aw, you're such a buzzkill. Just call me whenever you feel like getting wasted." Manuela winked before disappearing into her private quarters. 

As Byleth went to enter her own room, something told her not to. The sun was starting to fall as it met with the ground, a serene sunset covering the halls with its gentle hues. 

During these moments, she missed everyone the most, especially Sothis's persistent pampering in her head. It was incredibly lonely being the only ally to herself while also being an immortal. Even with all these people around her now, she still felt that longing for someone to remember her. 

Byleth sighed before turning around and making her way towards the fishing pond. After all these years, she noticed that it was still there. The fisherman was no longer standing by the dock, but the calming winds felt just the same. 

She slid her jacket off her shoulders as she sat by the water. Her heart felt heavy, yet it was empty. No one here remembered her except for her enemies. If there were to be another war, how could she possibly win without her precious allies? 

"Professor? I didn't think of you to be the sentimental type." There was a soft laugh that followed their voice. 

As Byleth turned around, Dorothea was already looking down at her, her emerald eyes shining from the light. 

"You seem lonely. Is something the matter?" Dorothea's eyebrow raised in question. Compared to hers, Byleth's eyes were dull, but full of glum. 

Byleth stood up to meet the young student's gaze. Byleth wanted to talk with her about it all, after all, Dorothea has always been one of the most caring and selfless people she's ever met, but she couldn't. Instead, she had to change the subject.

"What are you doing out here at this hour?" 

"What, can a woman not go outside alone? Or is it that you're concerned about me and you wanted to accompany me instead?" Dorothea smiled, and Byleth couldn't help but scoff from how indifferent she was. 

"Oh, it was just a joke. You're cute when you laugh though." Dorothea has always been quite bold with her words, regardless of who she was speaking to. 

"I usually come here after school to sing. Singing has always felt... therapeutic to me, in a way." Dorothea looked towards the sunset, her hair following the breeze of the wind. 

_This sure is Dorothea._ Byleth smiled to herself as she noticed her wearing the same hat that she wore in the Officer's Academy. 

"Don't you have something you do to relieve your stress? Or maybe... there's someone there to relieve it for you?" 

Byleth choked on her breath from the student's remark. The songstress laughed behind her hand from her professor's reaction. Dorothea used to say similar things once she found out that Byleth and Edelgard would elope at night before they announced their marriage. She's always been quite troublesome in that way...

"Sorry I pried. I just couldn't resist." Dorothea winked before taking a few steps away from her blushing professor. 

"I-I thought you were going to sing?" 

"True, but it seems like someone is already here. Is it that you want me to sing for you, _professor?_ " Dorothea emphasized as she winked with a charming smile on her lips. 

"Maybe next time, but I look forward to learning more about such a mysterious teacher..." She turned away before disappearing into the student's dormitories. 

Byleth just stood there, but this time, the air didn't feel as empty and suffocating as it did earlier. 

Something really is in the air tonight...

* * *

(A/N: sorry for the random Dorothea moment at the end if you didn't find it entertaining. Dorothea has always been one of my favorite characters in Three Houses so I just had to give her some more screen time. But for my Dorothea stans, I hope you enjoyed it! :))


	3. Just One More Chance

That night was full of tossing and turning for the mercenary. Each time she tried shutting her eyes, her senses were focused on everything else: her cold, shaking hands, her heavy breathing, her racing heart. She had so much on her mind that she hadn't realized how pent up it all was in her brain. Whenever she managed to fall asleep, she was dragged back into that hellish nightmare. 

Byleth wanted it all to stop. 

She wanted her heart-wrenching pain to stop. She wanted their familiar faces to stop appearing in her mind. She wanted to stop being forced to see them all come and go... 

Now, she finally let all her held-in misery out. 

She shoved her face into her pillow before crying into it. Her tears stained the sheets as her entire body trembled from it all. The more she thought of her, the worse the pain got. She wished she wasn't an immortal. She wished she could've just passed away beside her wife instead of having to watch her go, while she stayed on this Earth all alone. 

"El... please, remember me..." She sobbed as she took out a piece of paper from her bag. It was one of Edelgard's portraits of her. Byleth made sure to keep good care of it when she had to clear out Edelgard's study room when she passed. 

Little did Edelgard know how much Byleth truly appreciated these portraits. Seeing such love in a simple painting meant so much to her. 

Night after night, Byleth was feeling more and more hopeless. Even though the two are now reunited, how much more will Byleth be able to take before she loses herself completely? 

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise, and once she heard chatter, Byleth instantly took out her old War outfit. She used to wear this when she taught at the monastery, but for some reason, she felt compelled to wear it today. 

She put her coat over her shoulders before swinging her door open. 

To her surprise, she saw a student standing in front of her room, a small box of cookies in her outstretched hands. 

"Hm? Bernadetta?" Byleth was shocked to see any students in front of her room at this hour, especially Bernadetta. 

"P-Professor! Okay, Bernie, remember what you practiced with Edelgard yesterday..." She muttered to herself as she took multiple deep breaths. 

_Edelgard? Did she know that Bernadetta planned on coming here?_

"G-Good morning, professor. I, um... made these... for you." There was a faint blush on the young girl's cheeks as she kept her hands out. Byleth was still shocked, but made sure to take the gift. 

"I appreciate it greatly, Bernadetta." Byleth smiled as the timid student looked up at her with widened violet eyes. She still remembered to keep her voice at a certain level to be sure that the young student wouldn't run away in fear. 

"R-Really? That's great then! Good job, Bernie!" Bernadetta giggled, and she seemed very pleased with herself. This had already made Byleth's day that much better. 

"Class will start in an hour. Would you like to go there early with me?" Byleth offered. 

Bernadetta instantly stopped giggling, and she looked shocked. It wasn't a disgusted shocked, she just seemed... surprised. Almost as if she's never been offered something like this. 

"R-Really? I wouldn't want to annoy you-" 

"You won't annoy me. I enjoy your company quite a lot, Bernadetta." 

Bernie almost seemed to be on the verge of tears from her teacher's words. She was concerned, but was quickly relieved when she saw that smile back on her lips. 

"Then I guess it w-wouldn't hurt..." 

The two began walking towards the Black Eagles classroom. The sun was slowly starting to rise, and a new dawn was beginning to shine upon the university. Students were beginning to appear across campus, and most seemed to be interacting with their friends and colleagues. 

"Shh! Someone may hear us. Tell me, Hilda, does food poisoning seem good enough to get through that thick skull of his?" 

There were a few voices coming from the dining hall. Byleth was surprised to hear such idle chatter this early, and she quickly went to investigate, followed by Bernie. 

"Excuse me, what are you two doing in the dining hall?" Byleth turned into the room, and any sign of exhaustion left her face, and her eyes were widened as she looked at the students. 

"Oh, it's the new professor, Claude!" Hilda exclaimed as she realized she hadn't met her quite yet. 

"So, you got a teaching gig here? Well, professor, it's considered rude around here if I don't introduce myself. The name's Claude, and this is Hilda." 

"I-I see." Byleth stammered. She didn't quite know to say after catching these two familiar faces. 

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, tell me, professor. Which seems more efficient, food poisoning, or toxic mushrooms?" Claude asked as her pulled out the two from his bag. 

"Claude! I knew I would catch you here!" 

A voice bellowed from the entrance of the dining hall. 

"Ugh, here we go again." Claude and Hilda groaned from beneath their breaths as Lorenz stormed towards them. 

"Oh! It's the new professor." Lorenz stopped in his tracks as his eyes met Byleth's. The two exchanged a small bow before Lorenz focused all of his energies on the two troublemakers. 

"P-Professor?" Bernadetta tugged lightly on Byleth's sleeve. She nodded before the two snuck out of that situation, making their way back on track towards their classroom. 

Students were filling the halls, and many of them were surprisingly greeting Byleth as she made her way through the halls. She felt Bernie's grip tighten on her sleeve, but she didn't mind. 

_"It must be hard being everyone's favorite teacher, huh?"_

Sothis's words from centuries ago made Byleth laugh as she reminisced in them. Sothis may have loved pestering her, but Byleth could never have asked for better company in her consciousness. 

As the two were almost by the classroom, Byleth noticed Edelgard making her way down the hall. In just a moment's time, their eyes locked on one another's, but the blonde forced her gaze away from her. 

But for some reason, she stopped in front of the two. 

"Good morning Bernadetta and... professor." Edelgard glanced at her teacher, but once again, she drew her eyes away from her. Byleth yearned for her to look in her eyes, regardless of what happened yesterday, but she knew she had to give her time. 

"Good job on giving your gift to our professor, Bernadetta. I imagine she appreciated it."

"She did! Isn't that right, professor?" The two students turned to their teacher as she froze in place. 

She tried looking between the two, but her eyes followed Edelgard's as they looked up and down her outfit. It was making the professor blush, but she needed to resolve herself. 

"I did, quite a lot as well." 

"You're outfit looks nice today, my teacher." Edelgard commented, and Bernie was now noticing it as well. 

"It strikes some sort of familiarity, for some reason..." 

Byleth barely managed to catch Edelgard muttering to herself. Her eyes widened as Edelgard seemed lost in thought from the sight of her outfit. Byleth prayed that a memory still resided in her late wife, but her heart felt heavy as she heard a sigh leave the blonde's lips. 

"Perhaps I've seen something similar from the history books in the library... either way, I like how it looks on you quite a lot, my teacher." 

Byleth tensed up from her words, and even the blonde herself seemed surprised by the words that came out of her mouth. Byleth looked to her side, and noticed that Bernadetta must've left from all the people in the hallways. 

"I-I'm so sorry. I'm not sure why I said such a thing..." Edelgard's porcelain cheeks flushed with a crimson color, and her voice trembled as she tried to find a way out of their suffocating situation. 

"I-I don't mind at all. I appreciate it, and Miss Hresvelg... about yesterday-" 

"You can just call me Edelgard, my teacher." Edelgard looked into her eyes, the pink on her cheeks still evident, as she bit her lip to keep herself from falling apart. 

"Right, Edelgard. About yesterday, I wanted to apologize for my unusual behavior in case it alarmed you." Byleth bowed her head in front of the young girl. From this small interaction, everyone around them seemed to be watching the situation between the two. 

Once Byleth looked back up, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as Edelgard took her hand and rushed them into their classroom. She shut the door behind the two, and surprisingly, she still seemed to be blushing. 

"Wh-What was that?" 

"Sorry, it's just everyone was listening, and I'd rather if they didn't." Edelgard sighed as she rubbed her arm back and forth. She seemed quite anxious about the words that were about to leave the mercenary's lips. 

"As I was saying-"

"Please, professor... I'm not mad at you or anything like that. I'm just confused... about you." Edelgard said while keeping her eyes locked on Byleth's. Her strong gaze made the professor feel small compared to her. 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Yesterday, when you called me that nickname..."

_"El!"_

Byleth wanted to slap herself in the face for letting that name slip. How could she be so careless... 

"Please, think nothing of it-" 

"The problem is I can't, my teacher!" 

The classroom fell silent, and all the two could hear were the sounds of laughing and conversation outside of the room. 

Byleth wanted to reach her hand out to comfort the troubled blonde, but she couldn't. She too was also afraid. 

Afraid of missing her only chance to be with her again, if such a possibility even exists... 

"When you said that name, these unnatural scenes played in my mind. Almost like flashbacks. Flashbacks to moments I've never witnessed nor experienced in my life." Edelgard huffed as her breath was cutting short. She was panting almost, and she sounded as if she was about to pass out. 

"Edelgard, please, slow down. Come here." Byleth said in her soothing voice, and the young student slowly stumbled towards her teacher. 

Byleth was about to pull out a chair for Edelgard, but before she could, the blonde fell into her arms. 

"E-Edelgard?" Byleth blushed heavily as the young girl took controlled breaths. 

"Why... why do I feel like this around you, my teacher...?" Edelgard's words slurred and before she realized it, her eyes fell closed. Byleth panicked as she felt the heat coming from her forehead. 

She wasted no more time as she carried the student in her arms in a hurry, and towards the infirmary. 

* * *

About an hour had passed since Byleth brought Edelgard to the infirmary. The nurse said she would be alright, and she just happened to have a small fever. Fevers don't usually happen this abruptly though. 

_I can't help but wonder... was Edelgard thinking about what happened even after school?_

Byleth frowned from seeing that peaceful expression on the blonde's face as she was resting on the infirmary bed. Byleth rarely ever got to see the calm side of the emperor, but more of the intense and selfless side. Whenever Byleth was around, Edelgard was anything but calm; if that is a good thing or not. 

Maybe her path in this lifetime has no spot for Byleth. Perhaps she was a part of her past life, but for this one, she deserves someone better. 

Byleth was beginning to rethink it all. She's been pushing her feelings on the young woman without any thought of how it was making her feel. Without Byleth, perhaps Edelgard will have a happier life. 

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, El. This is all my fault..._

As Byleth was reaching for Edelgard's hand, the infirmary door swung open. 

"Professor? What happened here?" Hubert bellowed, his dark aura spilling into the atmosphere. Soon enough, the other students began filing in as well. 

"Hm? The professor said we should be staying in the classroom. Why are we being here again?" Petra asked to herself. 

"Professor. Answer me." Hubert repeated himself before taking a step closer to the teacher. Byleth sighed before facing all of the students. 

"Edelgard just has a small fever. She'll be back on her feet in no time. For the meantime, please, give her some space..." Byleth stared at Hubert purposefully before turning to the rest of the students. 

"And once she wakes up, she and I have some... matters to speak about." Byleth's eyes fell in shame. The stress she put on Edelgard must've been far too much for her to handle. She _is_ just a student, and no longer an emperor. 

"And what exactly are those... _matters?_ " Hubert pressed, and before he could continue, Dorothea pulled him back by his shoulder. 

"It's disrespectful to question our professor, don't you think? Personally, I trust the professor a great deal." Dorothea smiled at Byleth, followed by a charming wink. 

Byleth couldn't help but chuckle from their interactions. Hubert however definitely wasn't very fond of all the secrets being kept from him. Byleth knew she would tell him at some point; she was going to tell all of them, but for now, they are not ready. They aren't ready for their entire lives to possibly be changed forever. 

"I agree with Dorothea. Professor has been taking good care of me lately, so there is nothing to worry about." 

Everyone quickly turned around to find the young student sitting up on the bed. 

"See? Did you really think she would get sick?" Linhardt rolled his eyes as everyone quickly surrounded the student. 

Edelgard's eyes kept on glancing at Byleth's. It was as if a memory was striking each time she saw those ocean eyes of hers, but she was too afraid to look inside of that memory. 

However, the blonde noticed something was off. Ferdinand wasn't here, and he was almost always there to smite her for something. 

"Hm? Where's Ferdinand?" 

All of the students just looked to each other with worried expressions. Even Hubert seemed troubled from what was on their minds. Byleth's raised a brow from their behavior before Hubert finally spoke up for the rest of the group. 

"My lady, he... he attended the Student Council President meeting. Currently, he has the top candidate spot to become the next president." 

Edelgard's eyes widened from his words. She seemed quite surprised, disgusted even, but all she did was keep her head down. 

Even Byleth was shocked. Sure, Ferdinand has always been the petty type of person, but this was a bit much, even for him. He knew how important that position was to Edelgard, and instead of checking in on her like the rest of the Black Eagles, he went to take her place. 

"Don't worry about it. As long as he leads the student body well-" 

"My lady?! What are you saying, letting that nuisance do what he pleases-" 

"Enough, Hubert. I've had enough of this for today. I... I would appreciate if you all would leave." 

None of the students dared to argue with her. They all exchanged glances before leaving the infirmary, slowly closing the door behind them. Byleth was upset to see them all leave, while also knowing about what Ferdinand had decided to do. 

As Byleth was about to leave along with the students, she felt a hand grab her wrist, pulling her a few steps back. 

"My teacher... please, stay." Edelgard said in almost in a whisper. Byleth glanced at those empty lavender irises before taking a seat beside her. 

She wasn't sure what to say, but she knew that right now, Edelgard needed someone to be there for her. She was lost, afraid, and confused about so much. The student council and Byleth... perhaps it was all to much for her to handle alone. 

"Professor, I know you're keeping a lot of secrets, but..." Edelgard tore her eyes away from Byleth's once she saw the hope in hers. 

"I would appreciate if you explained to me why these things are happening to me. The flashbacks... you know why I'm having them, don't you?" Edelgard's grip on the sheets tightened as she looked back at those scenes playing in her mind. They frightened her... all the blood, the screams, the tears... she was afraid of what she was being forced to see. 

"I... It's a long story, and I doubt you would believe it." Byleth stood from her seat, which caught the student's attention. Their eyes met the others, and the two could see the piles of hidden emotions hiding behind their irises. 

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, my teacher. And who said I wouldn't believe you? The things I believe are... controversial, to say the least." Edelgard scoffed to herself as she turned towards the window beside her bed. Byleth sighed in relief from those words. After all, she was sure that everyone back in the Officer's Academy days would agree with the statement that left the blonde's lips. 

"I'm happy to hear, but..." Byleth started, but the hope in her eyes left soon enough. She was tired of hurting the one she loved most. 

"Hm? What is it, professor?" 

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." Byleth managed to say it, and surprisingly, she was relieved to hear nothing but emptiness once those words left her lips. 

"My teacher, I-"

"Edelgard, please. It's... for the best if you don't know." Byleth muttered as tears rolled down her cheeks, causing the blonde to look into her eyes in shock. Her teacher sighed before rushing out of the infirmary, an unexplainable amount of regret and guilt pulling her heart apart. 

* * *

"Professor Byleth. I'm happy to see you made it. What... happened to you...?" 

Byleth swung Seteth's office open, tears still running down from her eyes as she looked up at Seteth and Flayn. 

"I-It's nothing. What did you call me here for?" Byleth sighed before walking towards Seteth in the front of the room. There was a large board laid out, and a map that was marked up with red pen. 

"What is this?" 

"If you hadn't heard already, Fodlan has been having some... issues, with Almyra." Seteth said as he pointed at the large circle in between the East of Fodlan and Almyra. 

"Apparently, Almyra has also made a treaty with Dagda, so we are keeping an eye on them as well." 

"So, what does this mean for us?" Byleth questioned as she saw the barriers of the three areas of Fodlan back on the new world map. Just what was Seteth planning...? 

"The leader of Fodlan, as you may know as Edelgard's grandfather, hasn't been very transparent with his plan-" 

"Edelgard's what?" Byleth said with jaw-dropping shock. She's never been much for politics, but even this was low for her. 

"How have you not heard? Edelgard's grandfather is the current leader of Fodlan, but he refuses to tell the people his plan on this possible war between Fodlan and Almyra." Seteth sighed, and it seemed like Flayn had already left the two to discuss the matters. 

"So what do we plan on doing?" 

"We're not doing anything until there is concrete evidence of war plans and strategies. Until then, please, keep this from your students. Especially Edelgard. We wouldn't want to bring about any unnecessary worry." Seteth said. He seemed worried himself, but for everyone's sake, he forced himself to stay strong. 

"However if something of that sort does come up, perhaps we would all be better off if we worked together this time." Seteth turned around to face Byleth, but she was already at the door, her hand twisting the knob before she quietly muttered beneath her breath. 

"Never." 

And with that, the door slammed shut. 


	4. Her New Fate

Another day was coming to its end at the Officer's Academy. Ever since her odd encounter with her professor, Edelgard had been searching for her throughout the campus, but to no avail. The sun was already setting, and she decided it was about time to go home. 

She took all of her books from the nurse's office before going to pick up her brother. Edelgard already caught sight of him in the halls, and she quickly made her way towards him.

"Hm? Edelgard? It's unlike you to have time to meet with me like this." Dimitri said as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. The halls were practically empty at this point, so the two decided it was best to leave soon. 

"True, but it seems today is an exception." Edelgard sighed. Her worrisome brother raised a brow as the two walked outside. 

"What's the matter?" 

A simple question, and yet... Edelgard had no idea what the answer was. She's been keeping an eye on the other Black Eagle students, but it seemed that she was the only one acting out of the ordinary around their new teacher. Perhaps it was just all in her head, but if that's so, then why has her teacher been acting a similar way lately? 

"It's just... there's something about the new professor." Edelgard said in almost a mutter. Dimitri didn't know much about the new teacher, so words like that from his strong-willed sister surely alarmed him. 

"Did they do something to you?" He asked, and Edelgard could sense the frustration seeping from his words. She stifled her laugh, even though his assumption wasn't completely wrong. 

"It's nothing like that, Dimitri. It's just... there's something about her." Edelgard tapped her chin, and once again, she was deep in thought. It wasn't out-of-character for Edelgard to be stressing about something, but for it to be about another person... that sure was off about her. 

"Do you... perhaps have feelings for your professor?" Dimitri asked, and when Edelgard looked him dead in the eye, he seemed quite serious about the question. After all, Claude would be the one who would be laughing right about now. 

"What are you saying?" Edelgard muttered, but for some reason, her ears were flushed with warmth, along with her cheeks. She knew the answer to that question, but even then, why was she becoming so flustered? 

"It was just a jest, El. Whatever it may be, perhaps it's in both of your best interests to speak with each other honestly tomorrow." Dimitri nodded as the two entered their home. Their father was in his office, and he didn't even give the two a glance. 

However, just like usual, their mother was probably out drinking again. Their "home" was no longer a home to the siblings, but they kept quiet until they were able to leave the house, and until Edelgard was eligible to become the next leader of Fodlan. That was most-likely far from now, but she made sure to keep her duty in mind. 

Because of her family, Edelgard favored the week days since she would stay in her dormitory, but she was forced to come home on the weekends to discuss "family matters." 

The blonde had quite a lot on her mind, so she decided to go into her room-

"Edelgard." 

She stopped at the first step of the staircase before peeking her head into her father's office. 

"Yes, father?" 

"It's about your grandfather." Her father Ionius stood from his chair and took his glasses off. News about Edelgard's grandfather haven't been positive lately, so this definitely caught her attention. 

"What is it?" 

"He... He has caught an illness, and the doctors don't believe he'll make it." Ionius sighed as the two lingered in the silence. 

In the perspective of family, Edelgard was shocked. It was her grandfather after all, and she has been quite close with him ever since she knew she would be the heiress to the throne. However, in a political view, she was quite relieved. Her grandfather has refused to negotiate with the Almyrans, which has only further weakened their borders and trading routes. 

After all, Edelgard believed that only the most suited individuals should rule, and not the weak-hearted and lazy nobles. 

"And what if he doesn't make it?" Edelgard said with a dead-pan flare in her eyes. She never let emotions get the best of her, especially during situations like these. 

"Then I will become the next ruler, and you will be the heiress." Ionius said as he turned to the window. 

Edelgard's eyes fell to the ground as she realized how empty and bland her life will soon be. She already knew that one day she would inherit the role of the leader of Fodlan, but even then... there was so much left that she wanted to do, and not enough time to do it all. 

"Is that all, father?" Edelgard crossed her arms against her chest as her father turned to her with widened eyes. Her cold-hearted personality always seemed to surprise everyone around her, except her teacher for some odd reason... 

"Hm? Oh, yes." He cleared his throat as he took his spot in his chair once again.

Edelgard left as quickly as she entered, but this time she bumped into a particular someone outside of the door. 

"Dimitri? What are you doing?" Edelgard whisper-yelled at her younger brother. 

"I, um... I apologize. I just wanted a quick listen, that's all-" 

"No need to mope about not being the next heir." Edelgard scoffed as she rolled her eyes at him. Dimitri scowled, and he always seemed quite annoyed when Edelgard would make remarks like this. 

"I'm not moping. After all, I bet I would be a better ruler than you." His challenging words brought a smile to Edelgard's lips. Dimitri has always been the emotional type when it comes to political choices, which makes him quite similar to their grandfather. 

And that is exactly what worried Edelgard if he became ruler. She felt that his emotions would get the better of him during crucial decisions, but she made sure not to say anything that would upset him beyond compare. 

"Whatever you say." 

* * *

Edelgard took a seat on the park bench, her eyes traveling across the sky. There was a lot on her mind at the moment, and she found it best to talk to someone about it. 

"Lady Edelgard, what is troubling you?" 

She looked back up, and Hubert was standing before her, his hands held behind his back. She sighed as she gestured him to sit beside her. 

"My father is becoming the next leader of Fodlan soon." She said, her eyes stern as she gazed up at the sky. Hubert seemed to be lost in thought from the news. 

"It's about time. Your fool of a grandfather was a nuisance." 

Edelgard was surprised to hear him say such words, even though it was Hubert. Her grandfather took care of the two quite a lot when they were children, but it was different now. Now, the two wanted a strong leader, not a weak old man. 

"I will be by your side when you become the official heiress, my lady." Hubert bowed his head to Edelgard. She was never sure how she felt about his behavior when he would do things like this. Instead, she gently patted his shoulder before standing again. 

"Thank you, but that's not the only thing..." Edelgard anxiously rubbed her arm back and forth. Hubert raised a brow, followed by crossed arms. 

"Is it about our professor?" Hubert said almost in a scowl. His eyes were full of a furious glare, and Edelgard knew why he looked such a way. She refused to answer his questions about their professor, but this time she decided to stop keeping so many secrets.

"Did she hurt you? Why were you _crying_ in the halls in front of the professor?" Hubert pressed further, and he was slowly but surely losing his patience once again. 

"It... It's complicated. The professor and I have a lot to discuss with each other." Edelgard sighed, and once again, she could feel her heart pounding throughout her entire body. Her head was becoming heavy, and just slightly, she could see a glimpse of that flashback again. 

Agony. Warmth. Love. 

She felt emotions just crash over her just from peeking into those flashbacks. She felt like crying again, but why? What could she possibly want that she doesn't have already? 

"My lady! Are you alright?" Hubert panicked as Edelgard held her head in her hands. 

"H-Hubert, I... I must go. Thank you for speaking with me." Edelgard grabbed her bag, and before she could even process it, her legs were carrying her through the streets. She just kept running without a particular destination in mind, but her heart knew exactly where she was going somehow. 

* * *

Byleth wiped her forehead with her wrist, a sigh leaving her lips as she leaned her back against the wall. She decided to stay on campus for the weekend to sort out her paperwork and the Black Eagles classroom. She was planning on bringing some authentic strategy books that she stole back during the Officer's Academy days, but she wasn't quite sure if she was making the right decisions. 

No matter how hard she tried to get her off of her mind, she just couldn't help but drift back into her thoughts of Edelgard. Yet, she wasn't the Edelgard from before. She was a young student with a bright future ahead of her, and maybe it was best if Byleth wasn't a part of that future... 

Perhaps she should've gone into hiding like Seteth and Flayn-

"Professor? Do you have a moment?" A bright voice called to her, and Byleth quickly turned to find Flayn standing beside her. She fiddled with her hands nervoulsy, and she barely made eye contact with the mercenary. 

"Is something the matter, Flayn?" Byleth was surprised to find her here, especially without Seteth around to supervise her. 

"Is it true that you won't be working with my father and I?" Flayn no longer had the charming innocence in her eyes. Instead, Byleth could see years of painful memories embedded in her mind just from the expression on her face. 

"It... It is true. Why are you asking-"

"Why can't you just forget what happened in the past, professor? If another war breaks out because of our encounter-" 

"Just forget the past? Do you have any idea what Edelgard's death did to me?" Byleth said in a mutter, but her simple and quite words shook the halls as her fist slammed against the wall beside her. Not a sound left Flayn as Byleth took in a deep breath. 

"You and your father are just minions for that false deity. I pray that your path won't be a replica to your father's." Byleth said coldly, and she could feel that familiar burning sensation running across every vein in her body. 

She sighed, and as she looked up to find Flayn's horrified expression, she walked past the young girl to linger in the deadly silence. 

* * *

Fate really wasn't on Byleth's side this time around. Everything seemed against her; her painful encounter with Edelgard, her companionship with Seteth and Flayn, and the potential war that could be waged any moment now. 

Perhaps they would all be better off if Byleth just... disappeared. Without a word said about her whereabouts, and not a single soul who cared to find her. 

Edelgard would be much better off without her, and that thought continued to find its way on Byleth's mind. 

She sighed as she picked up the portrait once again from her desk. Manuela was out drinking again most-likely, so the room beside hers was empty. If she cried, no one would hear her... 

She shook her head as she placed the portrait back down onto the desk. Her eyes, however, refused to look away, and she glanced at the small heart with her and Edelgard's initials at the bottom. Edelgard herself had wrote that down, and when Byleth found out, she just couldn't stop blushing. The memory of it brought a smile to Byleth's face, which quickly fell. 

Byleth stepped out of her private quarter's as the bright glare of the sun threatened her eyes. Maybe drinking with Manuela could get her mind off of it all-

"Professor!" 

Byleth's body froze, and it felt like every muscle in her body just gave up on her. She slowly turned her head, and just like a dream, Edelgard was standing there. She was breathing heavily, and Byleth was surprised to see her chest heaving so violently. 

"E-Edelgard? What are you doing here-" 

"Don't run from me this time, professor. I refuse to leave without answers." Edelgard stepped towards Byleth, and with each step, Byleth's cheeks flushed with a pink hue.

It all felt so surreal. 

Of all places, how was Edelgard here? And right when Byleth needed her most... 

"Miss Hresvelg, please-" 

"Don't call me that. Instead... would it be alright if you used that nickname you mentioned before?" 

Byleth's eyes widened, and she wanted to respond, but her lips just quivered in response. Edelgard didn't lose patience, nor did she seem to be confused by her professor's reactions. 

"I... please, let's discuss this in our classroom... El." Byleth's wanted to cover her face from embarrassment, but instead she simply turned her head away so her crimson colored cheeks wouldn't alarm the young student. 

"I greatly appreciate it, my teacher."


	5. Give Me Closure

Edelgard watched as her professor prepared tea for the two of them. Byleth was struggling to keep up a strong front, especially with Edelgard's sudden appearance on campus. What in the world even brought her here...? 

"Thank you." Edelgard said as Byleth placed the tea set down onto the table. They were most-likely the only ones in a classroom at the moment, which made it feel oddly intimate. 

"So... was there something you needed?" Byleth asked, even though she knew her answer. She needed to be sure not to say anything that she would later regret. 

Edelgard took a sip from the tea cup before sighing heavily. She couldn't help but notice how distant her teacher has been ever since their unusual interactions. She knew she was hiding something, but she didn't want to push herself onto her. 

"Professor... your time at the university isn't the first time we've met, is it?" 

Byleth nearly choked on her drink from the student's remark. She wasn't sure how to respond with sounding insane. 

"I... What are you implying?" Byleth never underestimated Edelgard's intelligence, but this... this was something else. The blonde was always the type to get (not)straight to the point, after all. 

"I'm saying... have we met before?" Edelgard's eyes glanced over every feature on her professor's face, and for some reason, each part of her brought some strike of familiarity. It was intriguing yet terrifying how she couldn't remember ever seeing her face before. 

"H-How would that be so?" 

At this point, Byleth could hardly look the student in the eye without her hands shaking in her lap. If Edelgard were to catch on, what then? What would become of the two?

"Lately, Linhardt has been telling me about the stories of reincarnation and immortals. I was never the type to believe in such things, but..."

Edelgard looked dead-center into Byleth's eyes without wavering for even a second. 

"For some reason, you make me want to believe." 

The room fell silent, and after a moment of staring at each other, Byleth tore her eyes away. What in the world was Edelgard saying? 

The professor sighed as she rubbed her thumb against the tea cup. If she's already connected the dots this far, perhaps it was best if she got answers. 

"You're... correct. The legends about reincarnation and immortals are true." Byleth said, and she glanced at the young woman to find her mouth agape from the information. 

"You've told me once before that you've always been interested in the history of the Alliance, Kingdom, and Empire, correct?" Byleth's composure was much stronger, and her tone was much deeper than it was a moment ago. She didn't want a trace of suspicion in Edelgard's mind because of her words. 

Edelgard nodded, and Byleth took a deep breath before gazing into her sharp, lavender eyes. 

"That may be... because you _were_ the late emperor of the Adrestian Empire, Edelgard Von Hresvelg." 

There was a shattering of porcelain that followed, and Byleth was shocked to see the blonde had dropped her cup. Her pupils were flickering, and as the student was searching for some sort of humorous glint in her teacher's eyes, she found nothing. 

The name coincidence was no big deal since her family was supposedly a close relative to the late emperor, but even then... 

There they were again. Those flashbacks that haunted Edelgard's consciousness whenever she would even think about Byleth for a mere second. She held her head in her hands again, and Byleth quickly sat beside the young woman. 

"Edelgard, are you alright? I knew I shouldn't have said anything..." Byleth sighed as she gently patted the blonde's head. Her platinum blonde locks slipped between Byleth's fingers, and she couldn't help but blush from the contact. 

"I... I don't understand." Edelgard muttered. Byleth reached down and placed her hand on top of Edelgard's clenched fist. The feeling of her gentle yet rough hands against hers was unnaturally pleasant. The blonde was surprised to find herself thinking such inappropriate thoughts. 

"Wait... my teacher..." Byleth pulled away, and was surprised as Edelgard's hands landed on her shoulders. Even with everything she just took in, she was still longing for more answers. 

"So the missing empress of Adrestia who disappeared when... when I passed away..." Byleth gulped, and it was painful seeing Edelgard bring all the pieces together. Her heart was pounding against her chest, and she knew she wouldn't be able to take much more. 

"Were you Edelgard Von Hresvelg's wife?" 

Tears. 

Once those words left the blonde's lips, tears began trailing down Byleth's cheeks. It felt euphoric, but in a way, a heavy weight of guilt pulled her heart apart. 

Edelgard just stared into her teacher's eyes, and all she could find were traces of pure love and admiration. She gasped beneath her breath before letting her head fall as she stared at her lap. Her hands slowly fell from Byleth's shoulders before the professor took her hands in hers. 

Edelgard wasn't sure what to believe. After all, how was any of this possible? She herself was now on the verge of tears as she heard her teacher sobbing softly. 

She wasn't only thinking of herself though. A question kept running laps through her mind. 

_How much pain has my teacher endured because of me?_

Edelgard could feel Byleth's fingers shaking around hers, and without hesitation, Edelgard leapt into Byleth's arms. 

The blonde heard a small gasp leave the mercenary's lips, but a moment later, her own arms found their way around her precious student. 

"My teacher, I... I'm so sorry." Edelgard wept into her professor's shoulder. What was she sorry for though? That question had no answer quite yet, but Edelgard was ready to find one. 

"It's alright, El. You've finally found me. After all this time, you've finally found me." Byleth cried, but this time, it was from relief. She knew that Edelgard wasn't the same person from before and that their memories were lost, but even so, Byleth was willing to make new ones. 

If that's in a romantic or platonic relationship, only time will tell. 

* * *

"Damn it, we both lost someone important to us. Can't she see that?" Seteth huffed as his hands slammed against the table.Flayn watched with saddened eyes as her father was once again stressed. 

"If Fodlan were to fall to the Almyrans, it would've all been for nothing." He cleared his throat as he regained composure. Seteth was torn between firing Byleth, or just getting rid of her completely. Even though deep down he preferred the former over the latter, he needed to make sure there were enough options to choose from. 

"How close has Miss Eisner gotten to Edelgard?" He asked calmly as he stared out the window. Flayn struggled to find a fitting reply. 

"They're relationship is slowly blooming, father." 

Seteth clenched his fist. If those two were to get back together, and if Byleth told Edelgard about the past, another war was sure to break out. 

Not only a war against the Almyrans, but an internal war in Fodlan. Just like the one from centuries ago. 

"I'll be keeping an eye on those two starting tomorrow. Flayn, please... be safe with your interactions with that Ashen Demon." Seteth patted Flayn's head and gave her a small smile before leaving the room. 

* * *

After what Edelgard had told him about her new professor, Dimitri made sure to keep an eye on her. He wasn't sure what the teacher's true intentions were, but nonetheless he made it his top priority to watch over his older sister. 

Dimitri frowned slightly before hearing his phone vibrate beside him. 

_"Hey, your highness. What do you say we go for some dinner?"_

It was a text from Claude. Again. 

Dimitri was constantly surprised by the tricks that the young man had up his sleeve, but this time, it was different. Lately Claude has been trying to befriend prince, but that in itself was enough to raise suspicion. 

Dimitri dead-panned before replying, _"It's only 4 in the afternoon, Claude."_

The blonde already had enough on his mind at the moment, but perhaps a friendly outing wouldn't be so bad.

_"So? Who says we can't have a feast right now? ;)"_

Dimitri gasped beneath his breath. Claude was always the type to talk with a particularly frivolous tone, which Dimitri found rather charming. Even the schemer himself had a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, yet he still had this way about him that made others feel comforted. 

_"Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll be at your place soon."_

As Dimitri was about to prepare his outfit, he was shocked to hear a loud thump right outside his window. He peered out, and his mouth fell agape as he saw Claude standing in front of his house. His arms were waving wildly, and a charming grin spread across his lips. 

The blonde sighed before feeling his face flush with undeniable heat. He was surprised to feel flustered by such an immature act, but there was this endearing feeling that came along with it. 

_"Really, Claude? I'll be down soon."_

For some reason, a boost of adrenaline found its way through Dimitri's veins, and in just mere minutes, he was already at the door. 

He took a deep breath, but was surprised to feel an odd sensation of unease build up deep inside of him. He wasn't sure if he was nervous or excited, but he supposed it was too late to be pondering on such things. 

Dimitri opened the door, and he was instantly met with Claude's friendly grin. 

"Should I escort you to the diner, your majesty?" Claude bowed with his hand extended out. It wasn't like him to be so flirtatious, but then again, Claude always found joy in flustering the prince. 

"There's no need for that. I'm surprised the security let you get this far." Dimitri said as he glanced around. The streets were empty except for Claude's gaudy vehicle. 

"Hm? Oh, about that. All I said was I was your boyfriend, and they let me in instantly." Claude scratched the back of his neck nervously as Dimitri's face fell from its former expression. 

"They were weirded out for some reason, but with enough explicit explaining of what we 'do together', they quickly let me pass-" 

"Claude. Th-That is surely enough." Dimitri cleared his throat as his ears turned a bright pink. 

"Your wish is my command. Anyways, we should probably get going before your father realizes you snuck out with your 'boyfriend'." Claude put his fingers up as he quoted himself, which only seemed to further fluster the blonde. He sighed before replying, "Let's just go already."


	7. Eyes on Me

As the Hresvelg siblings walked towards the campus, the odd silence between the two instantly alarmed Edelgard. Her brother wasn't the the chatty type, but he wasn't the silent type either. Something was definitely wrong. 

"Why are you being so quiet?" Edelgard questioned as she stole a glimpse of her younger sibling. He was busy in his thoughts, and in a way, he seemed stressed. 

"Huh? It is nothing..." 

"You've been quiet ever since you came back home last night. Speaking of which, where did you go?" Edelgard despised lack of communication such as this, and although she wasn't as protective over him as he was, she didn't want him interacting with sketchy individuals either. 

"I... just went out with a friend, is all." Dimitri said in almost a mutter. The two reached the university, and as they were about to part ways, Edelgard grabbed his sleeve and shot him a death glare before muttering, "Don't get yourself into any trouble." 

He sighed, forcing a nod, before walking away and towards Claude's locker as planned. 

Likewise, Edelgard went in the opposite direction, and she could feel her stomach turning from anticipation. As she was nearing the hallway towards the Black Eagles classroom, a certain individual was walking right in front of her. The blonde hastened towards her teacher as she noticed her professional attire. 

"Oh, Edelgard! I didn't see you there. You're quite early." Byleth grinned before looking down at her watch. On the other hand, Edelgard couldn't tear her eyes off her professor. The black blazer hanging off her shoulders, and the white sleeveless turtle neck beneath it matched incredibly well on her teacher's physique. 

"Hm? What's the matter?" 

Edelgard turned her head nearly one-eighty degrees from how humiliated she felt. She cleared her throat before replying, "I just thought your outfit today looks very nice." 

Byleth's eyes widened, and a small tint of pink flushed her cheeks. She appreciated her compliment since she was wearing it just for today. 

"I'm glad you think so. Today there's another interviewing session for all the students running for student council president. I wanted to look nice for the occasion." Byleth smiled, and it seemed to relieve the blonde quite a lot. She knew Ferdinand was most-likely winning by a landslide by now, but she refused to give up on such an important position. Plus, being student council president gave Edelgard some sort of control, which she imagined being emperor would be like. 

"Well since you put so much effort into it, then I promise I'll try twice as hard." 

Byleth laughed softly from the student's bold remark, and just as expected, everyone around them had their eyes on the two. Seeing such a close relationship between a professor and student was uncommon, to say the least. 

As Edelgard was about to continue, an obnoxious voice called out from behind them, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. 

"Professor Eisner, and Fodlan's princess!" Claude called, and the two could see Dimitri hiding behind him, his head just barely poking out. 

"Claude?" Byleth said almost in a question as she and Edelgard watched the two walk towards them. 

"Say, what do you think about these toxic poisons I made this morning?" Claude's eyes were bright with excitement as he pulled out small tubes filled with a bright green liquid. 

Edelgard was getting tired of his schemes, and after taking a deep breath, she stepped towards him with a death glare. 

"It's disrespectful to just call a professor from the opposite side of the school, don't you think?" Edelgard crossed her arms, her eyes still fixed on Claude's. He scoffed before imitating her position. 

"I'm just starting a conversation with the new professor. Is there something wrong with that, your majesty?" 

Edelgard scowled before returning to her teacher. She didn't know what Claude's deal was this morning, but it was way too suspicious for her liking. Byleth on the other hand was surprised, but was nonetheless grateful to him for speaking with her. She missed his irreplaceable charm that no one else had. 

"No worries everyone. You can go ahead without me, El." Byleth said, but Edelgard just shook her head and stood her ground beside her. Suddenly, Dimitri stepped out from behind Claude, a sharp stare coming from his eyes. 

"El?" He repeated. 

Once the two realized what they let slipped, they just stood in shock as the prince glared intensely at the professor. Edelgard cleared her throat before backing up her teacher. 

"Calm yourself, Dimitri. I let her use my nickname-" 

"Why?" 

Edelgard and Byleth just exchanged glances, and the more Edelgard stuttered to find an answer, the angrier Dimitri got. Byleth sighed before turning away from the students and giving the heiress a stare, urging her to follow. 

"Let's not start a scene here. Class will begin soon." 

_Damn it. How could I let that slip..._ Byleth sighed, which quickly caught the blonde's attention. She turned to her teacher, but she didn't look at her in return. 

"I... apologize for that, my teacher."

"What are you apologizing for? That was my fault. I'm sorry." 

Seeing Dimitri furious like that was awful to say the least. Byleth would've liked to have a good first, or more like second, impression on him, but that surely wasn't the case now. And Claude, he seemed almost identical to the way he was before. That was relieving at least. 

"My brother can be a _bit..._ overprotective." Edelgard laughed nervously to try to break the ice between them. Byleth understood what she was trying to do, and forced a short scoff as the two finally arrived at the classroom. It was empty for now, but she knew the Black Eagles would be here soon. 

"I see. He was a good person; he just lost himself to revenge." Byleth sighed, but she was surprised to hear silence from the student beside her. Her brow was raised, and a troubled frown pulled on her lips. 

"I thought you said he wasn't in the war?" 

Byleth's eyes widened, and as she was about to explain herself, the door swung open, instantly followed by a particular student ranting about nobility. 

"And of course, like the nobleman I am- oh. The professor and Edelgard are here." Ferdinand shot Edelgard a dirty stare, which the blonde instantly returned. He seemed smug about his position in the student council president election, but he should've never let his guard down. 

"Oh, won't you just shut up already?" Hubert scowled, his eyes burning a hole through the student's head. 

All of the other students stepped inside, and after they greeted Byleth, the lesson begun. 

* * *

"Ugh, why does the bell always have to ring during the actually interesting part?" Linhardt groaned in annoyance, and the boy beside him just nudged his side. Caspar chuckled before grabbing his bag and waiting up for Linhardt saying, "There's no such thing as an interesting lecture. Now come on, I need to show you my new fighting technique!" 

The others just packed their things and made their way out, but a particular student stopped in front of their professor with a smile. 

"Thank you for the lesson, and I noticed... you don't look as lonely anymore, professor." Dorothea winked, and she watched as her professor's cheeks flushed pink before leaving the classroom with a giggle. 

_I really need to get used to Dorothea's remarks again._ Byleth sighed, but she couldn't deny how relieved she was to have these kinds of reminiscent interactions with her students. It made the void in her heart... fill up a bit. 

"Your majesty, let's go. I wouldn't want you speaking with... suspicious individuals." Hubert whispered as he stole a death glare at Byleth. She wasn't surprised to get such treatment from him, but if this continues, her situation with Edelgard will only worsen. 

"Hubert, what did I say about the professor yesterday? Stop worrying about me, I can handle myself. Now go ahead." 

Hubert snarled as he walked past their professor. He slammed the classroom door shut behind him, and Byleth finally let her held-in breath out. 

"I'm sorry about that, professor. I imagine he was like this during the war as well?" Edelgard joked as she approached her teacher. Byleth laughed with a nod before saying, "Very much so." 

This was such a simple moment between the two, but whenever it felt like this, Edelgard couldn't help but lose herself to Byleth. Her laugh softened her stone-cold heart, her eyes lit an addicting fire in her heart, and her touch made her feel like melting. She wasn't sure why she felt such strong emotions with someone she didn't know much about, but even then, she didn't put any effort in to try to get rid of the feelings. She never felt anything like this before and it was... nice, to feel some sort of reassurance from another person other than herself. 

"Was there something you wished to speak about?" Byleth questioned. She was grateful that her student wanted to talk with her, even if there was no necessity to. 

"About the student council president speeches later today... I want you to watch me when I go up there." 

Byleth's eyes widened from the sudden wish from her student. Edelgard on the other hand kept her genuine eyes on her professor's. 

"Of course. I was planning to right from the start." Byleth replied with a smile, but Edelgard didn't smile in return. Instead, her gaze darkened as she stared deep in Byleth's deep ocean eyes. 

"I mean, I want you to watch me win." 

Byleth was surprised to hear such a forward statement from the blonde, but it brought a smile to her lips. Edelgard wasn't expecting a smile from the remark she had just said, but she couldn't deny her racing heart. 

Suddenly, Byleth's hand landed on top of Edelgard's head, and the student blushed heavily as the mercenary gently patted her hair. 

"I promise I will." 

"My teacher..." 

Byleth grinned brightly. It was such minor contact, but even then, it always relieved the professor whenever she was reminded that Edelgard was still here. 

"Is it alright if... we meet up after the speeches today? You know, after school?" The student couldn't help but blush once she reflected on her words. She sounded like a child asking their crush out... wait, why would she compare her professor to a crush? 

"Of course. Was there... something you wanted to discuss?" Byleth knew it couldn't have been school-related because of her student's flushed red cheeks, which only peaked her interest further in what her student had in mind. 

"You'll just have to wait until then, my teacher. For now, I should get going." Edelgard's lip curled into a smile, and she caught a glimpse of her professor's musing grin before waving her goodbye. 

_Just as much of a tease as ever._ The mercenary scoffed to herself before letting her mind wander. 

She was afraid of how things would turn out after she revealed herself to Edelgard, but she's taken it surprisingly well. She thought she'd avoid her, even repent her, but instead she understood her feelings and took them into account. It felt like Edelgard really remembered her, and that only made it that much harder for the professor to resist going even _further_ with her. 

Her naturally pink lips felt like they were taunting the mercenary, and whenever she ran into Edelgard without notice, she couldn't help but look right at them. 

_I'm such a pervert._ She sighed to herself, but the red on her cheeks was still evident. 

* * *

"What a nuisance. Perhaps expulsion _would_ be the most convenient option..." Seteth sighed as he stole a glimpse at Byleth from outside of her classroom. He wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, but the way he wanted to go about wasn't clear quite yet. 

"Seteth? Why the furrowed brow again?" Manuela approached him, and surprisingly caught him off guard. He cleared his throat before gazing strongly at the songstress. 

"Good evening, Manuela. It is nothing." Seteth said, and he even forced a smile. That's how Manuela knew something was definitely wrong, but in the end she didn't feel compelled to pry. She yawned before waving as she walked past him. 

"Suit yourself, but if you ever feel lonely, you know where to find me." Manuela shot him a wink before turning the hallway. Seteth sighed before muttering under his breath, "Some things really don't change..." 


End file.
